Of Tumns, Broomsticks, and Love
by WithNoFear
Summary: Everyone has to fall sometimes. Even Autumn McKinley. Between prefect duties, raising her sister's child, and dealing with her mum's Alzheimer's, she has no choice but to accept the inevitable. But will her best friend be there to catch her? AlxOC RosexScorpius
1. Wake up time

**Albus**

Most people do their best not to wake up early in the summer. I'm all for that, and I was prepared for sleeping until noon: no plans, a comfortable room temperature, the window letting in a nice breeze. Unfortunately, leaving the window open was my worst mistake. No, of _course,_ I couldn't be allowed to sleep in; an owl just had to land on my chest directly after sunrise.

I groaned and opened one eyebrow to squint at the bird that was giving me a very unimpressed look. It haughtily dropped the envelope that it carried on my face before fluttering to land on my nightstand.

"Thanks, Wulfric," I muttered sarcastically, running a hand through my perpetually messy black hair and squinting at the handwriting before snatching my glasses up from beside the gorgeous eagle owl. "I really needed to be woken. Always a pleasure to see you at the crack of dawn."

If it was possible, I think Wulfric narrowed his eyes at me in disdain. Ignoring him, I tore open the envelope and furiously read whatever Scorpius Malfoy felt was so important that I needed to be woken before noon to read it.

_Al,_

_Don't even think about raging to me about Wulfric waking you up early. It had to be done. _

I snorted in disbelief.

_It's been two weeks since break started, and from what I hear from Rose and Tums, it's been boring as anything. Not that Tums actually admitted it, but I could still tell. Since we're the criminal masterminds of this group, I decided it was up to us to plan something to end the monotony. Anything going on at your house in the next few days? Parties with the relatives? Your dad must be throwing something. _

Rolling my eyes, I conceded that he had a point. There was a party for the Quidditch League going on soon, courtesy of Mum, and all of the family was invited.

_Truth be told, I'd like to get out of the house too. Talk to your mum; see if we can get together soon._

_Scorpius_

_(P.S. Write Tums. Her mum forgot who she was again.)_

I sighed at that, walking over to the rarely used desk that sat in the corner of my somewhat messy room. Dipping a quill in some ink, I let it hover over the parchment for several seconds before cradling my head in my hands. What were you supposed to say to someone who was grieving, but looked cheerful, stressed, but acted at ease, and tired, but seemed energetic? I sighed again and put the quill to paper.

_Tums_,

"No," I murmured to myself, scratching it out and starting again. "She hates that name."

_Autumn,_

_Good morning, or whatever time of day you're reading this. What are you doing in the next week or so? I'm going to ask Mum if you, Scorp, and Rose can spend a few days with us and come to a Quidditch League party. No worries, though; we won't make you fly. _

I reread the first few lines, grimacing at the forced cheerfulness of it all, before continuing.

_Talk to your Gran and see if you can come. We can lock James and Lily in a cage so they won't be too annoying. How is Kurt doing? Does he still need you to sing to him every night before he'll go to sleep?_

I groaned and decided to drop the act.

_Ugh. I'm terrible at this beating around the bush business. How are you, Autumn? Between your mum and May, you must be going through hell right now. Don't try and act like you aren't. I know you better than that, just like you probably saw right through all the forced cheer in the beginning of this letter. Just talk to me. Or someone, at least. And try to remember that it's still summer, and you're still a teen. Get some sleep._

_Al_

"Much better," I muttered, grabbing another piece of parchment and scribbling a quick note to Scorpius

_Scorp,_

_There's a Quidditch League party this week. Mum will inevitably say yes; she loves Tums and Rose. We might be getting our Hogwarts letters soon; maybe we could all go to Diagon Alley together while we're at my house. I'll send you a letter when I get a definite answer from Mum._

_Al_

I folded both letters into small squares, writing Autumn's name on one and Scorpius on the other before tying Scorpius' to Wulfric's leg. With one more haughty look, he flew of out the open window. I walked to a perch on the other side of the room, stroking the soft gray wing of my Northern Hawk Owl, Dice. She pecked at my finger immediately, but it wasn't quite as hard as her normal peck, which left fingers in ribbons.

"Morning," I murmured to her, offering her an owl treat. "Mind taking something to Autumn for me?"

Dice gave me a look that very clearly said, _You're kidding, right?_

"She doesn't live that far away, honestly. It's important."

She did something that resembled very closely rolling her eyes before holding out her leg. Still murmuring softly to her, I tied the letter to it and stroked her wing again before she hopped onto the windowsill.

"Try not to peck her," I pleaded with Dice directly before she took flight.

With all of that done and the sun only just rising, I gave in to the temptation and slid back under the covers, closing my eyes and deciding that talking to Mum could wait for it to be a halfway decent time to wake up.

**Autumn**

I had almost fallen asleep, Kurt's head resting on my chest and the room silent and warm, when I heard an insistent pecking on the window. Groaning, I looked up blearily, resisting the urge to scream in frustration. Being a mother sucked, I decided as I stood from the comfortable rocking chair, shifting Kurt's weight to my hip as he opened his eyes with a huge yawn.

"Good morning, sunshine," I murmured to him as I opened the window and Dice, my best friend's owl, flew inside and landed on the changing table.

Tentatively, I reached out, fearing that she would peck me with her usual force. Instead, she just looked at me with her large eyes, and I let out a breath when I held the letter in my hand. Al must have told her not to peck me. Deciding not to push my luck, I walked to my room to get an owl treat, opening the letter and bouncing Kurt on my hip as I did so. When I returned, I fed Dice the treat and gave her some water, which seemed to please her a bit.

Finally satisfied, I leaned against the table and read:

_Autumn,_

_Good morning, or whatever time of day you're reading this. What are you doing in the next week or so? I'm going to ask Mum if you, Scorp, and Rose can spend a few days with us and come to a Quidditch League party. No worries, though; we won't make you fly. _

I raised my eyebrows at the forced cheer that I could practically feel emanating from the paper.

_Talk to your Gran and see if you can come. We can lock James and Lily in a cage so they won't be too annoying. How is Kurt doing? Does he still need you to sing to him every night before he'll go to sleep?_

I sighed, wishing that Kurt would sleep. He was having trouble getting over the fact that no, I couldn't feed him. Al was right, though; if Kurt ever slept, it was only when I was singing.

_Ugh. I'm terrible at this beating around the bush business. How are you, Autumn? Between your mum and May, you must be going through hell right now. Don't try and act like you aren't. I know you better than that, just like you probably saw right through all the forced cheer in the beginning of this letter. Just talk to me. Or someone, at least. And try to remember that it's still summer, and you're still a teen. Get some sleep._

_Al_

I smiled. That sounded significantly more like the worried, straightforward Al I knew. The smile faded a bit, however, when Kurt began to sniffle, a sure sign of tears to come. Gently, I picked him up a bit and started to sing softly, walking over to the rocking chair and sitting down again. I needed to answer Al, explain that I was too busy being a mother to spend a few days with friends, but I needed a few hours' sleep before I did so. Kurt was soon asleep, resting on my chest gently. I stopped singing, smoothing out his soft brown hair, just like his mum's.

"Do you miss your Mum?" I asked him quietly.

Oddly enough, he chose that moment to sniffle in his sleep. I wrapped a blanket around both of us with one hand and continued to rock him back and forth.

"Me too, buddy."


	2. Pictures of us

**Hey guys! Thanks to ****Brown-Eyed-Marauderette****, ****PSdancer54****, and ****settingthesunrise**** for their reviews. Reviews make me happy, and happiness makes me write faster. I loved hearing that I got the characters right in the last chapter, and if you think that I need to fix anything in the story, characterization or otherwise, I will be happy to try. Anyway, I forgot to put a disclaimer in the last chapter, but here it is.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or setting of this story, except for my own character, Autumn. The rest of the rights belong to JK Rowling.**

**Albus**

While I finished eating my lunch, or breakfast, depending on how you looked at it, Dice arrived, holding a letter in her beak. Dropping it on my toast impishly, she pecked my hand and flew back out the window, probably to hunt. I unfolded it quickly, raising my eyebrow and grinning when I recognized the handwriting as Tums' grandmother.

_Dear Albus,_

_Although she would be writing to you to tell you that she is too busy, since she happens to have finally fallen asleep, Autumn will be at your house whenever the decided time is set. She needs a break, after all. Honestly, the child is persistent to the point of being silly, and she'll be the first to let you know that she does not need a break, but don't listen to her. I'm trusting you to distract her from her responsibilities for a few days._

_Wishing you well,_

_Donna McKinney _

I tried to hide the glee on my face when I heard voices coming into the kitchen, but as I reread the letter, I couldn't help it. I burst into laughter, imagining Autumn's face whenever her grandmother told her that she was coming to my house, like it or not. I was curled over my plate, holding the letter shakily in my hand, when my mother and father came into the room, both still in their pajamas. My mother raised one eyebrow and looked at my father.

Dad sighed and grabbed the letter, muttering good-naturedly, "What now, Al?"

I finally managed to contain the insane urge to giggle maniacally, grinning up at Dad. People always told me that I was like my dad's clone. Messy black hair, green eyes, tall, the works. It got kind of annoying, actually, always being compared to him.

It made life a little hard, being compared to the famous Harry Potter.

All the same, it was Dad. He didn't care about what the news said, always told James, Lily, and I to ignore it. I guess he got used to it after he killed Voldemort.

My dad started chuckling to, probably imagining Autumn's face as vividly as I had. Mum snatched the letter and read it quickly before sighing.

"Al, just when were you going to tell me that they were coming over?" she said, almost stern, but I could see the corners of her mouth were uplifted.

"Not when Scorpius woke me up! He sends his owl over here to land on my chest _at sunrise_! Who does that?"

"Someone who is responsible enough to get out of bed at a decent time?" Mum suggested.

"Obviously no one in this household, then," Dad said with a grin as Lily shuffled in, red hair hanging in her face. "Good morning, Lily."

"Mornings are overrated," my older brother, James, muttered darkly as he entered the kitchen.

Lily didn't answer coherently, simply beginning to make her toast.

"So, can they?" I asked Mum quickly.

She sighed, exchanging a glance with Dad. He grinned and held his hands up in a gesture of, _Don't look at me_.

"Fine. When?" She walked over and handed Lily a butter knife, taking away the spoon she was using to cut her bread.

"Soon?" Mum shot me a dangerous look then. "Er, okay. Friday?"

"Al, _today_ is Friday," Dad said in exasperation.

"I knew that," I said, shrugging and turning red. "Okay, Sunday, then?"

"That'll work. We'll get them all by Floo."

I rolled my eyes. "Mum, we're sixteen. You don't have to pick them up. Besides, Mr. Malfoy always gets irritated whenever you show up in his fireplace."

"However close you might be, none of you are seventeen yet," Dad said, taking the breakfast that Mum had made for him. "Which means, unfortunately, it is my responsibility to make sure that all of your friends arrive safely at our house."

"Send James," I suggested. He hit me on the back of the head with the milk carton "accidentally". "Ouch."

"Stop arguing," Mum said, handing me a piece of bacon. "Eat, or you'll never outgrow James."

I grimaced. That was a sore point between James and I. No matter what I did or how much I might grow, he always remained just a _tiny_ bit taller than me. Only a little bit, though, I swear. Not even an inch, no matter what the tape measure says.

Smirking, James patted me on the head. "It's okay, little brother. The ladies seem to like you anyway."

"Ladies?" my mum asked, holding a wooden spoon threateningly above my head. "What ladies?"

Hastily, I stood up, bacon still in my mouth. "I'm going to go send Tumn's a letter." I mumbled around it, eyes wide as I ran from the room. In reality, it sounded like 'Immago sentum letta.'

Once I reached my room, I grimaced at the mess I saw before swallowing the bacon. Clean up time.

**Autumn**

For once in my life, I woke up on my own. I was suspicious, of course, and listened closely. Nothing. Why did I wake up to silence? Squinting my eyes at the bright light that was coming through the windows of the nursery, I slowly stood from the rocking chair, my body aching from exhaustion. The nursery was quiet, empty. I glanced at the floor, wondering whether I had dropped Al's letter sometime while I was sleeping, but it was empty.

Resisting the urge to groan, I walked downstairs, ignoring the whispers of my grandmother's various paintings and the mirror that made a disapproving noise at me when I passed it. I took the stairs quickly, every step making me wonder whether Kurt was safe, whether Gran had actually taken me from my arms while I slept. On the last stair, I heard a distinctly baby-ish gurgle and practically ran into the living room.

Gran looked up from her knitting and said, "Finally up, darling?"

Kurt bounced on her knee and waved at me, brown hair sticking up in several different directions.

"Morning, Gran. And how is my favorite nephew doing this morning?"

I smiled and picked Kurt up, spinning in a circle once and making him giggle. Gran watched with eyes that were sad, so I avoided her gaze. I didn't want her to think I couldn't take it. The prospect of being Kurt's legal guardian once I reached eighteen was a little overwhelming, sometimes, but I couldn't let anyone see that. No one else was able to take him in except for me, so I had to be strong.

Balancing Kurt on my hip, I asked Gran absentmindedly, "Oh, did you happen to see Al's letter in the nursery? I need to send him a reply."

Gran smiled innocently at me. "I already did. Are you hungry yet? It's nearly lunch, you know?"

I stared at her. "You what?"

"I sent him a letter saying that you would be there as soon as the time was set," she said calmly, finishing a row on the dishcloth she was making.

Feeling my heart thump in my chest, I pulled Kurt a little closer, smoothing his hair.

"And what did you say?" I asked, would-be calm, but my voice shook a little,

"Simply that you needed a break, that you were still just a girl even if you won't admit it."

Now Gran looked up, meeting my grey eyes with her soft brown ones.

I swallowed my immediate irritation. "Gran, I wish you hadn't sent that," I said quietly, looking down.

"And why not?" she asked, looking as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

"It makes me sound weak," I said, and even I could hear the breaking in my voice. "Gran, of all times, this is the one time where I cannot sound weak! Everyone was already treating me like I might break if they said anything mean to me, and now—,"

"It's just Al," she interrupted softly, setting her knitting down. "Al knows that you're strong, and he worries for you, just like the rest of your friends. Sometimes they think you are too strong."

I took a deep breath, trying to convince myself of what she just said. It was just Al, just my best friend. Just the boy with the greenest eyes on the planet. Just the only boy who made me wish I could flirt and have a successful relationship. Just the boy who didn't know how much it hurt, every time that he came to me for girl advice, and I gave it to him, watching from the sidelines. Just the only person who could make Defense Against the Dark Arts homework seem easy to me.

Just Al.

Before I could answer, I heard footsteps on the stairs. Knowing what was coming when they reached the bottom, I murmured softly to Kurt, holding him close to me. Kurt was the only one who could see me reach for comfort. He understood what I was going through, despite the fact that he was only four months old. The footsteps paused at the bottom before starting again, this time coming into the living room with us. I could feel Gran's eyes, probably worried, on me, but I didn't meet them. This was not a time to be weak.

"Mrs. McKinley?" my mother asked, her voice dazed. "Where's Arty?"

I didn't look back at her, hoping she would just look over me.

Gran stood up slowly. "Sweetheart, Arty isn't here right now. Maybe we should get you something to eat and go—,"

"Who's that?" Mum interjected, no doubt pointing at me.

"She's—,"

I turned around, forcing a fake smile onto my face.

"Hello, miss. I'm here from Mrs. McKinley's knitting circle. Are you the girl that Arty McKinley is so in love with?" I asked, pretending that it didn't hurt.

Mum smiled, taking a seat beside me. "Oh, yes. Such a cute child you have. Aren't you a little young, though?"

I didn't tell her that he wasn't mine. "Oh, you know, these things happen, but I wouldn't take it back for the world."

"I agree. My eldest daughter was the same for me, came right out of the blue. Funny how it ends up, isn't it? Arty and I actually planned for her younger sister, Autumn, for several years, but May was always the angel child. She was just the perfect picture of innocence, don't you know? Such a kind and sweet little girl." Mum leaned forward conspiratorially, and I knew what was coming, every time. "Don't tell anyone, but I always kind of liked May better than Autumn. She was so much sweeter."

"Favoritism is to be expected," I said, mustering the smile that I didn't feel, that I couldn't feel since Mum starting forgetting who I was.

She forgot that May was dead. She forgot that her youngest daughter, the less-than-sweet freakish Autumn, was all the she had left. I didn't really blame her, though.

I would try to deny it, too.

Gran made Mum go to the kitchen, and I escaped to my bedroom, shutting the door quickly behind me. Setting Kurt down on the bed, I walked over to my desk. On it lay piles and piles of pictures, all of them labeled. Some moved, waving at me happily. Others were still, frozen in time. I grabbed a stack of the moving pictures and a camera and sat on the bed beside Kurt.

Pulling him into my lap as I leaned against the wall, I began spreading the pictures on the soft blue comforter, explaining to him softly all of the people in the pictures. As I did so, Kurt reached out with his hand and touched one, making nonsense noises that I figured meant he wanted me to explain the one fully.

"Okay," I said, picking it up and pointing at the people in the picture. "These are my best friends. See, that one there, the blonde boy is Scorpius Malfoy, and the pretty redhead girl that is on his back is Rose Weasley. And there's Albus Potter, the boy with black hair, and see, there I am, on his back. It was spring, and we were goofing around, and he decided it was time for a picture. So he forced a third-year to take a picture of us." Kurt giggled as Al turned his head and grinned up at picture-me before spinning around. Picture-me laughed and held on to him tightly. I smiled before continuing. "We're all in muggle clothes because it was a Muggle Studies project, where everyone had to try to find the style that they would be if they were a muggle, but of course I already had my style. Scorpius and Al thought it was hilarious, seeing me in shorts and a t-shirt." I lowered my voice as if I was telling Kurt a really important secret. "I don't think they realize I'm a girl, most of the time."

I stroked the edges of the photograph, staring at the girl there. That girl, not too much younger than I was, had no idea what was about to hit her. She was excited because she had been made her nephew's godmother. She was giddy to be hanging out with her friends. She was _young._

I picked up the camera and pulled Kurt close. "Smile, baby. This might be my only way to remember us, eventually."

I pushed down on the shutter.


	3. Together Again

**Hey again, readers. I'm still ecstatic that I have gotten reviews, and as I said before, reviews make me happy, so I'm updating early. Thanks to Doe, Maddie, Brown-Eyed-Maruaderette, PSdancer54, and setting the sunrise for all their reviews. I'm sorry if there are any factual errors in this chapter. I really did try to check everything out, I swear.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or setting of this, except for my original character, Autumn. The rest of the rights go to JK Rowling.**

**Albus**

"Al!" Mum shouted, her voice ringing up the stairs. "Would you like them to come or not?"

"Bugger," I muttered, sprinting out of my room. "Coming, Mum!"

I took the stairs in leaps rather than steps, reaching the ground floor in a matter of seconds. Skidding into the large living room, freshly cleaned because Mum figured we ought to make a good impression (Don't ask me why. My friends have been coming here for years.), I stopped directly before the large fireplace, grinning at Mum and Dad innocently. Dad hid a smile while Mum rolled her eyes. She was used to my perpetual tardiness.

"Al, you're going to Autumn's house. Harry, pick up Scorpius, and I'll go over to the Weasley's," Mum said, clapping her hands together before fixing the collar of my shirt.

I shrugged her off. "Mum, it's _Tumns_. You know, the girl that I go to school with? She doesn't care how I look, honestly."

"I won't have you going to the McKinley's and looking like a slob, Al. You know her address, correct?"

Rolling my eyes, I said, "It's simple enough, really."

"Recite it, then," she said, trying in vain to get a piece of my hair to lay flat.

"147 Kitchener Road, Amesbury."

"Go first, then," Mum said, finally giving up on my hair and gesturing towards the fireplace with a slightly nervous smile. "If anything goes wrong, Al—,"

"I know, I know," I said, grinning at her as I grabbed a handful of Floo Powder before stepped towards the fireplace. "Owl you or Dad. Got it. See you soon."

With that said, I stepped quickly into the fireplace, throwing down the Floo Powder as I did. Shouting out Autumn's address as clearly as I could, I held on to my glasses as I began to spin. I stumbled out of a fireplace only seconds later, coughing a little bit on some ashes that I had inhaled. Grimacing, I straightened and looked around the room, smiling when I saw a familiar face.

"Hi, Mrs. McKinley."

**Autumn**

Kurt and I were upstairs in front of my vanity when I heard the fit of coughing downstairs. I glanced in the mirror again, quickly tying off the end of my side braid and fixing the few remaining strands. Smoothing my bright red Gryffindor shirt down, I picked up Kurt and settled him on my hip.

"Whatcha think?" I murmured to him as I grabbed my camera and stuck my wand in the pocket of my jeans. "Decent, at least?"

He tugged on my blonde braid and tried to pull down the top of my shirt. I removed his hand and quickly moved the fabric up to the socially accepted height.

"Kurt, you know I can't nurse you," I murmured to him as we started down the stairs after one last cursory glance in the mirror. "I'm sorry, buddy. I'm not your mum."

After being reminded, he didn't seem to mind too much, laughing in his adorable way on the last few steps downstairs. Hearing voices in the living room, I pushed a smile onto my face and entered, looking down at Kurt at the last minute because he tugged on the chain of my necklace.

"Careful there, bud," I told him quietly, taking the sapphire and diamond cross from his chubby hands. "This is valuable."

"What, I don't even get a shout of happiness?" a voice said indignantly. "I should leave you."

I smiled and looked up, replying, "And I don't even get a 'Good morning, how's your summer been'? I ought to leave you alone with Rose and Scorpius for two weeks."

Al stood up from where he had been leaning against the wall, grinning at me. "That sounds horrible. Can we mend these crimes with a hug?"

I pretended to think it over, but Al had already made his decision. Walking across the room in just a few long-legged strides, he enveloped both Kurt and I in a hug. I tried to ignore the fact that my heart had just sped up, instead returning his enthusiastic hug with one arm.

"Al, you're kind of crushing me," I said in mock pain.

"Can't have that, can we?" he said, pulling back and ruffling Kurt hair. "How are you, buddy?"

"Don't drop him!" I said, steadying his hands when he took Kurt. Al looked over me with raised eyebrows. "What?"

"You're wearing muggle clothes," he said, bouncing Kurt a little bit.

"Nice observation, Captain Obvious," I said softly, holding Kurt's hands and smiling at him. "It's summer, Al. Too hot for wizard wear. Besides, even you have to admit that wizard clothes are too stiff for every day."

He rolled his eyes and bounced Kurt a little bit. "Whatever. How's my favorite best friend's godson?"

I tried not to seem too clingy when I pulled Kurt out of Al's arms, but Al raised his eyebrows. Ignoring him, I settled Kurt on my hip and walked over to Gran, pulling my hair out of Kurt's hands when he tried to eat my braid. Sitting on the arm of her chair, I gave her a smile before turning back into the responsible young lady that I was.

"Owl me if anything goes wrong, okay, Gran? Anything at all, I'll be right back over here. If he won't sleep, try singing to him and if that doesn't work—,"

I stopped, surprised, as Gran took Kurt out of my arms and handed him off to Al. Once my arms were free, she wrapped her arms around me, hugging me with strength I didn't know she still had. I gently returned the hug, careful not to hurt her.

"Everything will be fine, Autty. I promise."

I didn't tell her that I had heard that promise before, or that I didn't like nicknames. In this case, the nickname was reassuring, reminding me of my father. The promise made me shiver inwardly, but I would worry no matter what anyone told me, so that was to be expected.

"Okay, Gran. I love you."

"I love you too."

I rose from the chair and accepted Kurt as Al handed him to me. "Bye, bud. I love you. Don't grow up too much while I'm gone," I murmured, holding him close to me before handing him to Gran.

Al already had my small backpack over his shoulder. "Geez, Tumns, is this all you're bringing?"

"Undetectable Extension Charm," Gran and I said at the same time.

Grinning, Al shook his head and threw Floo Powder into the fire. "See you later, Mrs. McKinley."

With that, he was gone. Gran waved at me as I started to do the same.

"Be safe. Don't get caught if you break any rules, which is inevitable since you're with Al. Have fun," she recited, counting the rules of this trip on her fingers. "I think that's everything. I love you, Autty."

"I love you too, Gran," I said, throwing the powder into the fire and shouting out Al's address.

**On another note, I have a poll on my profile (I think I do, at least; it's been causing great confusion) as to what the characters should wear. I already know what I was leaning toward, but I want to get your opinions too. Please review and vote! Nothing makes me more excited than feedback!**


	4. Embarassment, Fudge, and Pillows

**You know, I really did mean to update over the weekend, but here it is, almost halfway through the week and I'm only just now getting around to it. Ah, well. Thanks to my reviewers, ****Doe, Maddie, Brown-Eyed-Maruaderette, PSdancer54, settingthesunrise, and myhorserockyrocks for their reviews. Every time I read a review, I smile, and supposedly, a smiling person is healthier than a frowning person. Give me a reason to smile! Thanks also to everyone who voted on my poll. For those of you who haven't, just go to my profile and vote, if you would. And without further ado…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or setting of this, except for my original character, Autumn. The rest of the rights go to JK Rowling.**

**Albus**

As I stepped out of the fireplace and into the living room, I grinned at the tall, pale boy that was leaning against the wall, smirking at me. Before I could take more than two steps away from the hearth, however, the fire roared behind me. Turning quickly, I watched with some amusement as Tumns stumbled out of the fireplace, looking dizzy. Before she had the chance to trip over something and break a bone, I steadied her.

"Alright there, Tumns?" I asked her quietly, grinning down at her and feeling an unexpected tug in my stomach when she returned the grin.

She opened her mouth to answer me, but before the words came out there was a sound resembling a war cry from behind us. Screaming, Tumns laughed as she was lifted in the air by none other than Scorpius Malfoy. Yes, _the _Scorpius Malfoy, known for his distant behavior and seemingly arrogant attitude that very rarely disappeared, had lifted Autumn McKinley into the air and was currently spinning her in circles. I grinned at their antics and sat down on the couch beside the redhead I happened to know as my cousin.

Rose smiled widely, her dimples not helping to hide the whole "I'm-an-evil-genius-so-you-should-run-now" look that she had going on. "Should they be siblings or what?"

I nodded, rolling my eyes as Scorpius began to tickle Tumns. She tried to squirm out of his grasp, but Scorp wasn't a Beater on the Gryffindor Quidditch team for nothing. Her blonde braid hanging over one shoulder, Tumns stomped on Scorpius' feet and tried to run for it. Unfortunately, she was laughing so hard that she just fell on the ground beside the couch, giggling insanely. A wide smile splitting his face, Scorpius picked her up and sat on the couch beside me so that Tumns was leaning against my shoulder while she laughed.

"Hi, Scorp, Rose," she managed to wheeze, leaning her head back so that she could grin at Rose.

"You're looking rather cheerful," Mum said, entering the room with a plate of fudge. "Somehow I don't think that any sugar will be good for you."

"Hi, Mrs. Potter," Scorpius said, holding out his hands for the plate eagerly. "Shall I take that off your hands?"

Autumn, without his arm supporting her, fell limply across my legs, her head resting on Rose's thigh. She glared at Scorpius as he took the plate from my mum, swiping some of her blonde hair out of her face as she did so. Not thinking, I found myself staring at her face, almost as though I was counting the freckles that were scattered lightly across her nose and cheeks. Seeming to feel my stare, Tumns looked at me, her grey eyes meeting mine coolly. I could feel myself beginning to turn red, thanks to the Weasley in me, but our stare down was interrupted by Scorpius trying to force feed Tumns fudge.

"Scorpius!" she screeched, slapping his hands as he leaned over her, looking for all the world like the annoying older brother that Tumns never had.

"Scorp," Rose said, grabbing his fudge-filled hand and meeting his eyes. "At least let me say a proper hello to the girl."

Scorpius paused, his cheeks starting to turn a little pink as Rose held onto to his hand stubbornly. "Course, love," he said lightly, releasing Tumns again so that she fell, once more, into my lap.

I felt my heart speed up slightly, illogically. Tums met my eyes, smiling slightly. I could feel the blush creeping up my neck as she used my shoulder to pull herself into a sitting position, but I tried not to show any emotion.

"We have got to get them together," she whispered to me.

I watched Rose begin to wrestle with Scorpius over the fudge.

"Give it to me, you greedy barbarian!"

"Never!" he cried valiantly, holding it above his head.

I grinned at Tumns, only just then noticing the fudge that was streaked on her cheeks from Scorpius' antics. Not thinking, I reached up to wipe it off, just as Lily walked into the room, stopping midbite in her quest of eating an apple.

"Merlin!" she cried, eyes wide. "Did you guys finally get together?"

I almost started laughing. Then I realized that she was talking about me. Me and _Autumn__._ My jaw dropped open, and now the signature Weasley blush was creeping all the way up my face. My hand was still on Autumn's cheek, and I suddenly realized how close we were. Holy hippogriffs. Close enough for Lily to think we were about to...

Oh, Merlin.

I was dead.

"Hey, Lily," Autumn said, doubling the distance between us, seeming to be unembarrassed, but I could see the blush creeping up the back of her neck.

"Don't you dare, Lily-" I started.

"MUM!" Lily screeched! "MUM, guess what! You have got to come see this!"

"What is it, Lils?" James asked, walking into the room with a sandwich in hand.

The next thing I heard was the clatter of his plate hitting the floor.

"Merlin," he whispered, eyes wide. "We finally got them together."

He grinned, walking over to slap me on the back. "Way to go, little bro. Finally catch up to the Potter charm, eh?"

"Took you two long enough," my dad said, walking into the room and grinning.

"It's-It's not-"Tumns tried to say, bright red.

Mum interrupted her with a girlish squeal.

I covered my ears. "Merlin, Mum, how do you make noises like that?"

She ignored me. "I'm so happy! All these years I thought…" she said before trailing off, grinning so widely she could barely speak.

On the ground, Scorpius and Rose stared at us for several seconds, eyes wide. Then, like the great friends they are, they burst into laughter.

"Al and... and... Tumns..." Scorpius gasped out between peals of laughter.

"Not freaking possible," Rose said between giggles. Tumns buried her face in her hands.

I would have too, but then I would have had to put my arms around her, and that would only make the situation worse. Mum was oblivious, still gushing about how happy she was that we were dating. Tumns lifted her face out of her hands. I marveled at the shade of red that it was before realizing she would probably smack me for doing that.

"I am not dating Albus Severus Potter," she said firmly at the same time that I said, "Mum, I am _not_ dating Autumn."

My entire family stopped what they were doing, eyes wide.

Finally, Lily, bit into the apple again, muttering sourly, "False alarm. Everyone back to your stations.

I looked at Autumn, my face on fire as I watched my family walk out of the room.

"Your family has nothing better to do than try to pair us together?" she asked me, face red beneath the chocolate.

"Sorry about that, lo—Autumn," I said, choking on the word 'love'. "Apparently not."

On the ground, Scorpius and Rose were still laughing.

"Is it really that unbelievable?" I asked grimly.

"That you would date her?" Scorpius asked, looking up at me and pausing in his laughter.

"No," they said together.

"But that she would date you?" Rose said, a grin creeping over her fudge-smeared features.

Here, they burst into laughter again. Groaning, Autumn buried her face in one of the cushions of the couch, the back of her neck still a brilliant shade of red.

"Nice to see all of you, too," I murmured, leaning my head back against the couch and closing my eyes.

**Autumn**

You know, I can understand the way that everyone expects Rose and Scorpius to get together. Even Rose knows that she's doomed, for Merlin's sake. Scorpius, being of the male gender, is still rather clueless, and thus has not asked our darling Rosy on a date. It is kind of expected that they end up together, and it's understandable that everyone is always pushing them together. I mean, hello, they were voted the best suited for each other last year, out of all the fifth years.

Al and I, though, is a totally different matter.

Just a quick recap. Albus Potter: absolutely brilliant Seeker; has brought Gryffindor victory after victory in the Quidditch field; one of the best Defense Against the Dark Arts students Hogwarts has ever seen; hilarious prankster that every teacher adores; smile voted to be the best out of our year in Gryffindor; probably the kindest and bravest person you'll ever meet. Now to the matter of me. Autumn McKinley: some of the best marks in her year, but not high enough to beat Ravenclaw; terrible at Defense Against the Dark Arts; terrified of heights; teacher's pet; prefect; voted Most Likely to Throw You in Detention; everyone wonders how she even got into Gryffindor; screwed up family life.

_Right,_ I thought, shaking my head and returning my thoughts to my book, _totally made for each other_. Or, at least, trying to. Before I had read a paragraph of the book (_A Complete Summary of the Battle of Hogwarts_), I could hear a loud bang on the other side of the house. Hiding a grin, I kept on rereading a sentence about Sybill Trelawney, who supposedly was responsible for several concussions as she continually dropped crystal balls on Death Eaters' heads. However interesting this attack plan might have been, however, I was quickly distracted from it when the door to Rose's and mine's bedroom opened and two teenage boys tumbled.

I faked exasperation. "What have you two done _this _time?"  
Scorpius smirked at Al, whose hair had pink polka dots in it. "James doesn't like being pranked, evidently," he said, plopping down on Rose's bed easily. "Luckily, I used Al here as a human shield for James' jinx and—Ta-da! Our Albus has pink hair."

Scorpius was interesting. I did a report over personalities for my Muggle Studies class (evidently Muggles have a science called psychology in which you study human behavior. Somewhat interesting, actually.) and Scorpius was my main example of the many aspects that personalities have. Scorp wasn't just kind, or blunt, or caring, or arrogant. He was all of them, all the time. Sometimes, though, different aspects of his personality became more obvious than others. For example, when Scorpius is at home or school, he is cool, arrogant, the perfect Malfoy in some people's eyes. When he is with people that he feels safe with, namely, Al, Rose, and I, he is more likely to act like any other teenage boy: carefree, happy, and sometimes doing the stupidest things known to man.

I got an O on that essay, thankfully.

"Jerk," Al muttered, sitting beside me on my bed and picking up the book from where it lay limply in my lap. "Seriously, Tumns? This is practically homework."

"It's interesting!" I objected, snatching it back and holding it protectively against my chest. "Stop laughing at me!"

He didn't, naturally, so I wacked him over the head with it. It couldn't hurt much, really. The book was paperback, after all, and Al was known to have a pretty hard head to begin with. His pink and black hair now even more messy than before, Al tried to glare at me, but I could tell that he was hiding a smile. The times when Al wasn't smiling were few and far between. I'd only seen Al completely serious a few times in our years of friendship, once when May…

Moving along.

"Scorpius, put my wand down," I said sternly as he began to twirl it through his fingers. "If you even _think_ about using it to do magic so your butt won't be kicked out of Hogwarts, then I swear—,"

"Oh, shut it, Tumns. What's your wand, again?"

"10 3/4 inch Willow with unicorn hair," I answered automatically.

Scorpius smirked at me endearingly. "I suppose you wouldn't be impressed if I used this to jinx James?"

"Considering you wouldn't even survive the encounter," I said, walking across the room and snatching it out of his hands, "I wouldn't advise it. Because even if James did let you live, I would get the wand back eventually, and you would pay."

"Such a kind soul, our Tumns," Scorpius said loftily to Al.

"Oh, shush. You know you love me." Neither of them answered. "You do love me, right?"

Al stood up suddenly, a grin poorly hidden on his face. "You know, Tumns, we really ought to be going…"

I threw a pillow at him. "Be nice! Do you or do you not love me?"

He grinned even wider before picking up the pillow and advancing on me, Scorpius only a few paces behind. "Of course, darling Tumns. What on earth would make you think otherwise?"

I shrieked as they both hit me with their pillows. Backing me into a corner, they laughed maniacally as they hit me repeatedly, overwhelming me so that I couldn't get a single hit in. Abruptly, they both shouted. Looking up, they each received a pillow to the face, and the pillows continued to hit the boys even though no one was standing there. Trying to escape the pillows (Oh! Not the pillows!) they both ran from the room, pillows hanging over their heads as they did so. Abruptly, James appeared in the middle of the room, doubled over in silent laugher.

"Nice one, James," I said, giving him the thumbs-up.

"Hey, anything to please you. By the way, how many detentions will I get if I do this during the school year?" he asked me, grinning and sticking his wand back in his pocket.

"If you do it to Al and Scorp?" I said. "You'll get house points, do you even need to ask?"

He laughed and started out of the room. "You know, Perfect Prefect, you're not so bad."

I smiled as I collapsed back on my bed, my hair now messy. This was home, all right.

Rose entered the doorway with a bright expression on her face. "Tumns, are you busy?"

"No, not really."

"Oh, that's good." Smiling innocently, she picked up a pillow and approached me with an evil grin on her face.

_Five minutes later_

"Eat the pillow! Eat it!" I cried, shoving it in Rose's face as she squirmed on the ground, trying to throw my weight off.

"Never!" she shouted, trying to poke me in the stomach.

"What on—," I heard a voice from the doorway say.

Turning, I grinned at Mr. and Mrs. Potter. "Hi. Wanna help?"

**This was really just to show a bit of the different ways the groups relate to each other. Let me know what you think about the characters, Rose and Scorpius in particular. And, please, I beg of you, let me know if you didn't like this chapter, or if you don't like anything about my story. (If I'm being completely honest, there are parts of this chapter that I don't like, either.) Reviews always loved!**


	5. Bacon, Realization, and Curls

**Albus**

Generally, waking up is something that I want to do on my own. For the most part, I don't enjoy greeting the morning by being someone's trampoline, but, you know, I guess there's just something about me that screams, _Jump on me! Go on, wake me up!_

At least, that's what Rose said when I considered feeding her to Hagrid's "pets".

"Rose, it's _morning,_" I said, groaning as I leaned back against my pillows and regarded my cousin. "You know, the time of day that it is considered indecent to get up in?"

"Al, even Scorpius is up already," she said, tucking a red curl behind her ear. "Autumn's probably been up since six, the little weirdo. Don't seriously complain about me getting you up at ten."

Grimacing at her, I threw the covers back and stood from the bed. Rose grinned at me cheekily as she headed for the door. I started after her, stumbling on some shoes that blocked my way.

"For Merlin's sake, Al, put a shirt on," Lily mumbled as she trudged past my room.

Looking down, I realized that, true to my little sister's word, I had on no shirt, so I ducked into my room and grabbed the first one I could find, pulling it over my head as I went down the stairs. Entering the kitchen, I tripped over the hem of my pajama pants and stumbled into something tall and blonde that somewhat resembled Scorpius.

"Watch it," said a voice from underneath the terrifying bedhead.

I grinned and stole a piece of his bacon when he had his back turned. "Good morning to you, too."

Dad was already seated, looking over some reports as he tried to eat something off an empty fork. Realizing that it was empty, he would stab it into something nonexistent on his plate and bring it to his mouth again. All that could be seen of Lily was a mane of fiery hair on the table, where I assumed she had fallen asleep. Rose and Mum were probably the only semi-conscious ones in the room, as Scorpius totally missed his cup when he tried to pour some milk into it and James, after fixing a glass of orange juice, put the container inside the cupboard rather than the icebox.

I took a seat at the counter and helped myself to the bacon as Mum finished it, burning my fingers every now and then. For the most part, there was only the sound of utensils hitting each other and the sizzling of bacon in the pan in the kitchen. Groggily, I heard footsteps entering the room and jumped when a clear voice rang out.

"Aren't we looking lively this morning?" Autumn said.

Turning around, I saw that her hair was still damp from her shower this morning, and that she looked much too lively for this time of the day although she was still in her pajamas, like the rest of us. As she crossed the room, her pale legs caught my eyes, and I came to a stark realization that made me stare at her in bewilderment.

Tumns was a girl.

A proper girl, too. Not all stick-thin or believing that she was ugly or anything like that. _Blimey,_ I thought, staring at her. _This isn't good._

Noticing my stares, Tumns waved her hand in front of my face. "Alright there, Al? You look like you've been hit by a Bludger."

"You're a girl," I told her dumbly.

"Kind of you to notice. We've only been friends for six years," she said coolly as she chomped down on a piece of bacon. "Surprised you caught on, I really am."

James snickered, and I mindlessly punched him in the shoulder.

"Morning, Tumns," Scorpius said, setting a glass of milk that had more milk on the outside than the inside on the counter for her.

"Nice to see someone's awake," Mum said, a little too loudly for comfort, as she put a plate with pancakes on it in front of us.

"Morning, Mrs. Potter," Tumns said, grinning up at Mum. "How are you this morning?"

"Quite well, thank—Harry, open the window, here comes the post."

Dad jumped, looking around for the source of the words, and when his eyes landed on Mum, she made a shooing gesture with her hands. Grinning, he walked over to the window and stepped to the side as five owls swooped in, one right after the other. The first landed in front of Mum on the counter, holding three letters in its beak. One each landed in front of Scorpius, Rose, and Tumns, and the last to enter, a less-than-pleased Dice, landed in front of me, looking for all the world as though she wanted to peck out someone's eyes.

"Hogwarts letters!" Lily screeched, running to Mum to get hers.

"Oh, lovely," I heard Tumns mutter under her breath. "Shopping with Rose."

I laughed and reach to take the letter from Dice, noticing that it was for Tumns as I did.

"Here, Tumns," I said, sliding it to her. "From your Gran, probably."

She reached to take it, and Dice stiffened as Tumns touched the parchment. Having owned Dice for six years, I knew what usually happened when Dice stiffened. Without thinking, I placed my hand on top of Tumns' as Dice leaned down for one of her famous pecks. I yelped when her beak cut through my skin, bringing Mums attention to us.

"Al, are you alright?" she asked, pulling out her wand and picking up my hand.

"I'm fine," I muttered, trying to pull my hand out of hers. "It's just a peck."

"She normally doesn't peck you, though," Dad said in confusion as he walked over and looked at the peck too. "I wonder why she did now."

"It must've been a long journey for her," I said evasively as Mum healed my finger. "Made her irritable probably."

Thankfully, my parents accepted that answer. I could only imagine what James and Scorpius would do if they knew I had taken the peck for Autumn's sake. She met my eyes as I turned back to my food, and when I glanced down at her hands, I was abruptly glad that she hadn't been pecked. With her fingers being as small as they were, the peck would have cut through to the bone, and besides, no one wants to see their friend in pain.

"What does your Gran say?" I asked, gesturing at the letter with a fork loaded with syrupy pancake.

"Al, you're going to get syrup all over the kitchen if you're not careful," she said, taking a rag from the sink beside her and cleaning up the small drops of syrup that I had splattered on the counter.

I continued stuffing my mouth as everyone in the kitchen except me and Mum started to read. As she read, I studied the side of Tumns' face, trying to figure out what the letter had said by her expression. A small smile was creeping onto her face as she read, and I smiled as well when she pulled some pictures out of the envelope. Leaning over her shoulder, I watched as Kurt waved up at the camera, eyes lively. Tumns looked back at me, grinning widely, but she didn't say anything.

"He's going to be the next generation of pranksters at Hogwarts if I have anything to say about it," James declared, leaning over my shoulder to look at the picture of Kurt.

"James, you don't even know whether he's a wizard yet," Tumns said, rolling her eyes. "Besides, all of the pranksters are in _your _family."

Smiling knowingly, James said, "You'll join us sooner or later, Autumn."

"You asking me to marry you?" she mocked, tucking hair behind her ear and turning so that she could continue the conversation with James face-to-face.

"Another has already claimed his heart," Lily said sardonically, trying in vain to smooth down her bedhead as she skimmed through her Hogwarts letter.

"And just who's that?" I asked, quickly taking interest.

"Phoebe Jenkins, of course," Rose said.

James tried to smirk in disbelief, but I could still see through it. "Jenkins, honestly? As if I—,"

"James' love life aside, we'll need to make a trip to Diagon Alley," Dad interjected.

"Not today though; we still have the Quidditch party to set up at the park," Mum said, still skimming through the letters. "Perhaps tomorrow."

"Speaking of which," Rose said with an evil smile creeping across her features, "Autumn, you are going to be dressed by me. And Lily."

"Alright," Tumns said casually.

"What?" Rose, Scorpius, and I all said at once.

"Alright, as in, that's fine, go ahead, do what you will," Tumns elaborated, stealing a piece of bacon from my plate.

"Tumns, have you lost your mind?" Scorpius hissed at her.

"Yeah, this is _Rose_ we're talking about," I said. "And Lily," I added as an afterthought.

"I love how I'm always the secondary thought," Lily said dramatically. "Thanks guys. Really good for my poor, broken, teenaged self-esteem here. You would think—,"

"Guys, I've had Rose striving to make me pretty for six years," Tumns said, ignoring Lily. "There had to come a day when I got used to it, right?"

Scorpius and I stared at her in disbelief, mouths agape. Rolling her eyes at us, she stood and started out of the room, Rose, dragging a less-than-enthusiastic Lily, running after her. I could hear Rose's talk of colour coordination and such following Tumns up the stairs. Turning back to look at Scorpius, I exchanged a meaningful look with him.

"Glad we're not girls," we said together before returning to tucking in our breakfast.

**Autumn**

"Mrs. Potter, I don't really know if I like the idea of you casting a spell at my head," I said nervously as I sat on the marble countertop in her huge bathroom, my back to the mirror. "There are _legends_ about your Bat-Bogey Hex."

"Trust me, Autumn, I have been curling hair using magic since Hermione decided she was madly in love with Ron."

"Ew, Aunt Ginny, stop putting pictures in my head of my parents as young," Rose complained. "It's disturbing."

Smiling widely, Mrs. Potter tapped my head, muttering a spell under her breath as she did so. Almost immediately, my waves turned into ringlets. Rose finished doing her as per usual gorgeous eye makeup before walking over to me, beaming from ear to ear.

"My little Autumn, all grown up," she said before grabbing a makeup bag and sitting in front of me. "Tell me, love, do you trust me?"

I started to answer, but she smacked the side of my head.

"Stop moving your face! You'll make me mess up."

I rolled my eyes, which apparently counts as moving since she smacked me again. I thought about pointing out that her continued smacks were going to mess up my hair, but I decided not to, for fear that she would turn me into a clown. Instead, I sat as patiently as I could, sometimes studying the way that the light caught on her red curls and shined as though it was coppery gold. Forcing down the smile that started to appear on my face, I thought about the year to come, and all that Al and I were going to have to do to get Scorpius and Rose together.

Of course, being the girl that she is, Rose already knew that Scorpius liked her, but she refused to make any moves, insisting that he should put on his Gryffindor-themed big boy bloomers and ask her out himself. Scorpius was, unfortunately, completely in the dark about Rose liking him, which was odd considering he could read most people extremely well. I grimaced, causing Rose to smack me again, thinking that this year might be a bit harder than I had originally thought.

"So, Autumn," I heard Lily ask while Rose was doing my eye shadow, "What do you think of Al's little revelation at breakfast?"

"When he realized she was a girl?" Rose said for me.

Lily must have nodded because Rose continued. "Oh, I think she's finally going to start letting him know that she's liked him since fourth year. I give them until Halloween to get together."

My eyes shot open, causing Rose to curse brilliantly, which in turn caused Mrs. Potter to threaten to clean out her mouth with soap, which caused Lily to start cracking up.

"I am _not_ getting together with Al," I said decisively.

"So you don't deny that you've liked him since fourth year?" Mrs. Potter said wryly, looking in the room-length mirror that spanned the entire wall of the bathroom and smiling as she fixed a stray lock of hair.

"Well, er," I began, feeling heat rush to my cheeks. "Maybe not, but I still can't _date_ him."

"And just why not?" Rose demanded, one hand on her hip. "I have been trying to get the two of you together for years, Autumn. You are not going to ruin this without good reason."

"Rose, do you have any idea how much I have to do this year?" I asked her in disbelief. "Do you honestly think that I have time for a relationship?"

She started to protest, but Mr. Potter's voice at the door stopped her. "Ladies, the guests will start arriving in about ten minutes. I suggest you hurry."

I turned bright crimson as I wondered exactly how much of the conversation he had heard. Rose, frowning slightly, quickly finished my makeup before yanking me off the counter and telling me to strip. Raising my eyebrows at her, I stepped into the corner of the bathroom and pulled my shirt over my head and my shorts off, feeling immensely self-conscious the entire time. When Rose handed me a piece of fabric, I winced, thinking of all the possible scandalous dresses that Rose could have forced me into. Quickly, I stepped into the dress, not really paying attention to it as I struggled to cover up. Before I could try to struggle with the zipper in the back for long, however, I felt cool hands replacing my own, zipping me up.

I turned around and met the compassionate gaze of Mrs. Potter. She smiled at me, smoothing down her own gorgeous, honey-colored dress before turning to help Lily into hers. I looked down at my dress, registering the gold and blue-grey designs on it before Rose called me back over to her for help with lacing up the back of her dress, this one sapphire blue, which contrasted brilliantly with her hair. As was fitting, all of our dresses were around knee-length. Lily's, a beautiful white and brown work of art, was sure to make Al, James, and Mr. Potter less than pleased, although it made her look absolutely beautiful.

Mrs. Potter looked around at us all with satisfaction. "Are we ready? Okay, then, let's see the boys, and then we'll Apparate over."

Opening the door, she confidently strode out of the bathroom, steady on her heels. I watched her with envy before turning to Rose, who was holding my own pair of heels out for me.

"Please, Rosy, don't make me wear them," I begged. "You know what happens when I wear heels."

She gave me a look that told me she lacked any mercy at the moment, and I sighed before taking the shoe out of her hands, quickly sliding them on and tottering unsteadily out of the bathroom and following Mrs. Potter downstairs, smoothing down my skirt as I did so. I tucked one of my curls behind my ear and prepared myself for a long night.

**Hello again, everyone. I'm sorry about taking so long to update. I can't even say that I actually have a valid excuse, and to top that off, this chapter is almost a filler. Don't worry, though, I promise I will get the next chapter up, which actually really is extremely important to the plot line, before the end of the week unless something comes up. As always, thanks to my reviewers, Lalasa Moore, Auri the Awesome, myhorserockyrocks, Maddie, Brown-Eyed-Marauderette, ToTrulyBe, PSdancer54, Doe, and settingthesunrise. Every time I get a review, I smile, or laugh, or sometimes I come close to crying with joy. Yeah, I know I'm pretty pathetic, but what can I do? Please review, and tell me anything and everything that you dislike about my story. I always love to know what I need to fix. **

**On another note, I've been thinking about doing a James/OC story next, which is why I happened to mention her in this chapter. What do you guys think? Would you read it? Anyway, I love you guys for reading my story. Thanks.**

**-WNF**


	6. Gold, Dancing, and Publicity

**Albus**

"And here we go," I heard James mutter behind me.

Turning around, I grimaced, shoving my hands in my pockets and mentally preparing myself for the attention that was going to come as soon as we left the house. Not only did I have Ginny Potter, coach of the HollyHead Harpies and hostess of this party at the Quidditch League Hall, but there was also Dad, the Man-Who-Conquered and one of the best Aurors the world has seen. Not that he would admit it, of course. Sighing, I leaned against the wall beside a bored-looking Scorpius. I knew that when we arrived at the party, he would turn into the Scorpius Malfoy that the rest of the world knew: arrogantly charming, well mannered, and the type of guy that generally made me want to throw up.

"Here they come," Scorpius muttered, unhitching himself from the wall and straightening his jacket.

I did the same, looking up at the stairs as I tugged on my bowtie, wishing that evening events didn't call for the stupid attire. Almost ready to make some comment to Scorpius about it, I stopped when I saw Tumns tottering unsteadily down the stairs, one hand grasping the wall for support. The dress Rose had chosen for her was simply cut, with grey and blue patterns that made her eyes look brighter than usual. Without thinking, I found my gaze captured by the way that her blonde curls bounced with every step she took, with the distinct irritation that was written on her beautiful—

_Whoa, now_, I thought, mentally chiding myself. _Let's not go _that _far._

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she walked over to James, Scorpius, and I, looking none too steady on her feet. I grinned at her, noting that she was no longer almost a foot shorter than all three of us in the heels that Rose had no doubt forced her into. Speaking of my cousin, I noted with a smirk the way that Scorpius' eyes were following the redhead down the stairs and that he was subconsciously straightening his shirt again. Bowing dramatically, James offered Tumns his arm.

"Shall we?" he said with a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

"I hate Apparating," she said with a sigh. "Take Rose first. With my luck, the press will think that we're dating if you take me."

I almost frowned at that. Since she was such a good friend of our family, the press was always trying to get her to give them the goods on us, particularly this one hag named Rita Skeeter. Unfortunately, she wasn't one to make drama, so Rita Skeeter was always trying to make it seem as though Tumns was either marrying one of us or a charity case, both of which irritated our quartet beyond belief.

"Ugh," James muttered, pulling away from Tumns. "No offense, Autumn, but you're practically my sister, so that's just… icky."

She made a face at him, and I wondered when the faces she made when disgusted got so cute. Shaking my head, I quickly averted my gaze, trying with all my might to keep my eyes from wandering to where her skirt ended, revealing her well-curved legs. Instead, I focused on the space just above her head, trying in vain to get my hormones under lock and key.

_I am not attracted to my best friend, Autumn McKinley_, I recited to myself. _I am not attracted to my best friend, Autumn McKinley._

"Al?" a sweet, melodious voice cut through my thoughts. "Are you okay?"

I looked down, taking in the way that the light shining on her hair made it look golden and absolutely beautiful. Swallowing with difficulty, I nodded grimly, trying not to look at the crease that appeared between her eyebrows when she was concerned.

"Are you sure?" The crease deepened, and I swallowed with difficulty.

_Focus, Al. However adorable the crease makes her look, she is your _best friend,_ for Merlin's sake. Focus!_

"'M fine, Tumns," I mumbled, looking away.

She shrugged and returned to talking with Scorpius, James, and Rose about the party and the guest list. When I thought she wasn't looking, I sneaked a gaze at her back, marveling in the way that her curls fell in a perfect mess to the middle of her back. Abruptly, I had a vision from last year.

"_Al, come on!" Scorp had hissed, dragging me toward a broom cupboard after our latest pranks. _

_Stumbling after him, I grimaced when I saw there was only room for one. Waving off his concern, I said, "I'll hide in the library. Filch'll never think of that."_

_I sprinted there. When I finally arrived, I crept through the stacks of books, hoping to avoid the scary librarian if I could get to the back quickly. Suddenly, I turned a corner and froze, staring at the couple that was snogging in the dim light._

_It was Roger Favrell, the seeker on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, and he was practically on top of a girl. Rolling my eyes, I turned to leave the aisle before doing a double take. Horrified, I recognized the golden hair that Favrell had tangled in his hands, the small stature that he was practically crushing. _

"_Tumns?" I whispered._

_The girl pulled away, horror on her face. "Al?"_

"Al?" I heard again, feeling a hand on my shoulder. "Are you certain you're alright?"

"Favrell was a bloody josser, right?" I asked her abruptly, staring at her grey eyes.

"Al," she said, laughing but still looking mildly worried, "Why are you thinking of my ex-boyfriend?"

"'Cus he's an idiot, that's why," I said, suddenly noticing that we were the only ones in the room. "Where'd everyone go?"

"They already Apparated," she said cautiously, checking my forehead for a fever. "They'll be back to Side-Along with us in just a minute."

"Oh," I said dumbly.

"Al, are you absolutely certain—,"

"I'm fine, Tumns, I just—,"

I was interrupted by two loud cracks. Thankful for the interruption, I turned around and gave Dad and Mum a weak grin. Raising his eyebrows at me, Dad offered me his hand, which I gladly took. Just before we spun around, I could see Tumns' still-confused face as she grasped my Mum's hand. Trying in vain to shrug it off, I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself for the bombardment that was about to come.

**Autumn**

I've always prided myself on being able to tell when something was wrong with my friends. For example, I always know when Rose is about to collapse from the pressure that her parents unknowingly exert on her by being two-thirds of the Golden Trio, or when Scorpius has fought with his Dad, or when Al is irritated beyond belief by being one of the most famous people in the Wizarding World.

But right now, I was lost.

Of course, it would take a complete idiot to not realize that something was bothering Al, but I just couldn't shake the feeling that it was something to do with _me_. Completely bonkers, I know, but the way that as soon as we reached the party, he left to go stand in a corner, surrounded by a flock of girls, rather clued me in.

So, since my best friend had decided to leave me, here I stood, talking to one of the younger Quidditch players here about a game that I never understood. Every now and then, I would glance around the room, trying desperately to find Scorp or Rose. Merlin, by now I would settle for even James or Lily. After my most recent search, I turned back to the attractive Quidditch player reluctantly.

"Can I get you a drink?" he offered, flashing me a sweet smile. "Firewhiskey, perhaps?"

"Oh, I'm underage," I said quickly, returning his smile.

He looked up as a song started to play and the dance floor was cleared. "Well, would you like to dance?"

Unsure, I glanced over my shoulder and saw Al smiling down at a brunette before offering her his arm.

"Of course," I said, feeling irritation beginning to form in the pit of my stomach. "I would love to."

I took his arm and allowed him (what was his name again? Darren something?) to lead me onto the floor. Laughing as he twirled me into his arms, I tried not to feel too petty when I enjoyed the way his eyes appreciatively roamed over me while we danced. Of course, he was very handsome, too, so it was a win-win situation, in most people's eyes. Still, I kept on thinking of all my responsibilities while we danced, each one of them a different reason that I shouldn't be enjoying myself right now, let alone be _dancing_. With a stranger, no less.

"You're beautiful," Darren whispered to me, his face coming dangerously close to mine. "Did you know?"

I swallowed and gave him a weak smile, desperately trying to think of ways to cue him in that I wasn't interested without hurting his feelings. Thankfully, another couple chose that moment to bump into us, sending us stumbling to the side and breaking his stare. Ready to apologize profusely to complete strangers, I looked up into the smiling eyes of Albus Potter.

"Hey," I said softly, ignoring the tingling that began in the pit of my stomach.

"Hello," he said to me before addressing my partner. "Mind if we switch? I need to talk to her about something rather important."

Nodding in a way that seemed terribly childish, my partner let go of me and took Al's partner's hand, letting his gaze linger on me for several seconds before going back to dancing.

"You're a lifesaver," I whispered to Al, letting him lead me in circles around the dance floor.

"I thought you looked a bit uncomfortable," he muttered, warm hands holding me close to him. "Are you alright though, Tumns?"

"Oh, sure," I told him, smiling and tossing a few rogue pieces of hair out of my face. "I just seem to attract the wrong kinds of guys, you know?"

His gaze felt heavy on my face, and Al stumbled a bit before regaining himself. "How so?" he asked, his voice sounding a little choked.

I let my gaze fall to his bowtie, which he had already managed to mess up. I pulled my hand out of his to fix it, still letting him lead me around the dance floor.

"Well, I always attract guys that I don't like in that way," I said, feeling a shiver course up my spine when his hand tightened a bit on my waist. "I never attract the guy that I really want to like me."

I returned my hands to their proper dancing position before daring a look at his face.

"Who's the lucky bloke?" he asked, warm breath carrying the scent of Butterbeer to my nose.

I swallowed nervously, suddenly aware of how nicely I fit into his arms.

"It's a secret," I whispered to him as the song ended.

Hearing a camera click behind us, I turned quickly, hardly conscious of the way that Al wrapped one arm around my waist. The sight behind us was, to be honest, almost horrifying. An older woman, her hair a dead-looking blonde and the skin of her face pulled back so tightly she looked like a corpse, stood with a notepad out, a wide, predatory smile on her face. She pointed a turquoise-painted claw at me before grinning at her cameraman.

"Front page, don't you think?" she said, her voice poisonously sweet. Taking three steps forward in her ridiculously high heels, Rita Skeeter touched her talon to my cheek, a false smile plastered on her face. "Aren't you pretty, dear? Why don't you give me an exclusive on you and Mr. Potter's relationship later, hmm?"

Al stiffened behind me. Knowing what he generally did when he came into contact with reporters like her, I intervened.

"Actually, Ms. Skeeter, we're not in a relationship." I plastered a smile on my face. "Actually, so far as I'm aware, Al isn't in a relationship at all, so, really, there's no news right here. Just a couple of friends enjoying a dance."

She smiled knowingly. "Oh, but surely you'll want to talk all about Albus Potter's social tendencies, right, Miss…"

I ignored her implication that she wanted my name. "Actually, you know, since it isn't mine, I'd rather not talk about his social life."

Frowning, the old hag exchanged a glance with her cameraman before realization dawned on her face. "You're that little brat friend of his, aren't you? Spring or August or something like that?"

"She isn't a brat," I heard a voice saying behind Al. "And I wasn't aware that you were invited to this party, Rita."

I turned to see a less than pleased Mrs. Potter fingering her wand as she glared at Rita. She interrupted Rita when she tried to say something by lifting said wand and raising her eyebrows.

"Leave," she commanded calmly.

Shooting a glare at me and Al, Rita Disapparated without another word. Mrs. Potter gave me an apologetic look, sticking her wand back in the pocket of her dress.

"Sorry about that, Autumn. If only it weren't necessary, right, Al?"

Al mumbled something under his breath and walked away, uncharacteristically not telling me goodbye. I watched his back until a dancing couple got between us, wishing I could read his mind so that I could see what I'd done. Straightening my shoulders, I walked off to find Scorpius, confident that he, at least, would provide a much-needed distraction from the tension that Al had unknowingly created in my heart.

Hours later, I lay awake in bed, listening to Rose's deep breathing while she slept. I couldn't help but wonder if I should have stayed at home, particularly at times like this. Right now, I needed someone to comfort me, but of the three men that could always do that, one was dead, another was avoiding me, and one was (hopefully) sound asleep, miles away.

Which was why, for the first time since Kurt had been born, I felt utterly alone when I fell asleep that night.

**Hello again, everyone! **

**I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter, but I really just felt the need to post something, since it's been almost two weeks. Sorry about that, by the way. As always, thanks to my reviewers, who are all amazing and supportive. By the way, reviews make me smile _and _update faster, just so ya know. ;) Anyway, tell me what you think, and check out my other story, Moments, if you get the chance.  
**

**Yours writerly,  
**

**WNF  
**


	7. Back Again

**Disclaimer: I am not the magnificent J.K. Rowling. Unfortunately. Although I might meet my deadlines if I was.  
**

**Autumn**

So that tingly feeling I got whenever Al got close to me? It was still there. And we weren't even in the same part of the country anymore. It was stupid, really. I mean, sure, I've always had a crush on him, but now it was getting to the point that when I opened a letter from him, just a normal letter, my heart rate would speed up a bit, and I would imagine that maybe he spent as much as much time composing his letters to me as I did for him.

Which was complete bullocks, of course, but it wasn't as though I could help it.

And trust me, I was trying. Because between Kurt and school starting in twenty-four hours and dealing with my mum and trying to keep up the façade that I was a normal, happy, teen for everyone's sake, I definitely did not have time to be pining for my best friend. And, Merlin, if it got much worse, I would probably fail Defense since Al was the only person who could make sense of it for me, and if I spent the entire time he was teaching me marveling at the unique green color of his eyes, I would never learn anything.

I stopped scurrying around the room in an attempt to find everything that needed to go to school and flopped down on my bed.

"I am never going to survive this school year," I groaned, closing my eyes.

Which was a total mistake, because every time I closed my eyes, I saw green.

**Albus**

The really bad thing is that she's my best friend.

You know, it wouldn't be so bad if I didn't know Tumns like I do, but maybe the reason I can't get her out of my head it because I know basically everything about her, all of her flaws and strengths and, Merlin, just how amazing she really is, and that's the problem. Since I know all of that, I _know_ that this is stupid, that I shouldn't be having dreams about long blonde hair and smiling grey eyes. That Tumns couldn't possibly feel the same because, well, she was Tumns.

And I was going to see her in less than twelve hours.

I groaned and buried my face in my hands.

The only problem was that every time a piece of hair brushed my skin, I immediately thought of long, gold locks.

**Autumn**

So, I waited for as long on the platform as I possibly could before the prefects' meeting, but I never saw the Potter's enter. Or the Weasley's, for that matter, which was highly disturbing, considering they made up a good amount of the school population. Just as I boarded the train, I caught a glimpse of Scorpius' pale blonde hair in the crowd and gave him a wave, even though I knew in public that he was very reserved and would most likely ignore me.

Which he did, but even though I really wanted to, I couldn't bring myself to care because I couldn't stop wondering about when Al would get there, what I would say when I saw him.

But I shook my head and made my way to the prefects' carriage because, Merlin, this was so stupid. If I kept on thinking about him like, well, _that_, then there was no way I would manage to be even semi-normal around him, and the last thing I needed was for him to take a guess at the root of my un-normalness.

It was kind of crazy, really, how many students went to Hogwarts. It's not like they disappear when school is in session, but when they're all boarding the train, some of them for the first time, it just seems like the usual numbers have doubled. Which is why, unfortunately, prefects have to patrol the train, making sure that nothing particularly chaotic happens, although it's kind of inevitable when you force nearly six hundred magical kids onto the same train.

After fighting my way through the crowds of students until I managed to get to the first carriage, I took a deep breath and swiped some hair out of my eyes before yanking the door open and charging inside.

"Autumn!" the Huffelpuff Natalie Feressin cried as she tackled me with a hug, black hair creating a messy halo around her face. "How was your summer, love? It's been _ages _since I've seen you."

"Hey, Nat," I gasped, struggling to breath. Immediately sensing my discomfort, Natalie released me, eyes glowing as she pointed to the badge on her chest. "Head Girl! Congratulations!"

"Thanks," she said, grinning widely before she turned to face the rest of the carriage. "Now, have a seat and let's get this meeting over with, shall we?"

I moved over to the bench that rested against the wall, sitting beside a blonde Hufflepuff prefect that I knew vaguely from last year. Giving me a small smile, he leaned over and held out his hand to shake.

"Thomas Jennings," he whispered as Nat went on about the new schedules and general guidelines of being a prefect.

"Autumn McKinley," I said softly, glancing at Nat to make sure her attention was elsewhere.

His blue eyes twinkled with merriment as he followed my gaze. "No worries; Nat's rather oblivious sometimes."

I felt a grin tugging at my lips. "Lucky for us."

Both of us leaned back in synch as Nat turned to face the bench that we sat on as she continued to talk about house unity. I bit my lip to keep a guilty smile from spreading across my face, glancing at Thomas from the corner of my eyes. He sat with his back straight, a look of detached interest on his face as he apparently listened to Nat as she detailed the schedules for patrols. I coughed to hide the laugh that started to burst out of my mouth, causing Nat to look at me with concern.

"Are you alright, Autumn?"

I coughed again, trying to clear my face. "Fine, fine," I said, my voice tight with the strain of unreleased laughter.

"Alright then," she said, shrugging as she continued. "This year, rather than having rounds with a prefect of your own house, as is usual, you'll be with one of a different house, as a way to inspire more unity among the houses. Now, I suggest you choose a partner, or Jacoby and I will have to choose one for you," she finished, gesturing to the stick-thin Ravenclaw Head Boy.

Thomas nudged my arm. "Not to seem over-eager, but would you be my partner? The rest of these guys are stiffs."

I glanced around at all of the other prefects, noting the perfect posture and look of great duty that was writ on all of their faces. Grinning, I turned back. "Well, since you're my only good option…"

"Autumn and I are together!" he called out to Nat. "And we call seniority on train patrols."

She looked at the two of us appraisingly before looking at the new, fifth-year prefects. "Alright, fine! Stop giving me the puppy-eyes, Thomas! Go."

I looked at Thomas, who had been giving her a pathetic look a mere second before, watching as his face turned to pure glee. He stood and offered me a hand before pulling me to my feet and promptly exiting the carriage, gesturing for me to follow him through the thin crowds of students. Seeing two third-years terrorizing some firsties with W easley's Wizarding Wheezes products, I paused to scold them and confiscate the products.

"Scary," Thomas commented as he watched the teens retreat down the hall.

"Oh, hush," I muttered, blushing.

"Hey, would you like to join me and my friends in a compartment?" he asked, a hint of red staining his cheeks. "That is, if you don't have somewhere to sit."

"I wish I could, but my friend's always save a compartment," I said regretfully. "Actually, it should be in this next carriage."

"Well, then, allow me to escort you," Thomas said, bowing grandly.

Along the way, we talked about all kinds of things, joking about school, stopping to reign in some of the chaos every now and then. Eventually, we got to the compartment that our quartet had used every year since we met. I peeked in the window and felt my stomach sink in disappointment.

"Something wrong?" Thomas asked.

"One of my friends is missing," I said, looking down the hall as if I would see Al coming down it any second.

"They probably just went to grab something to eat," Thomas reassured me, sticking his hands in his pockets before starting to walk backwards down the hall, blue eyes never leaving me. "Well, see you around?"

"Definitely," I promised. "And Thomas?"

He turned, raising one eyebrow.

"Thanks."

Grinning, he turned back around and proceeded down the hall.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the compartment door to see a scandalized Rose and an irritated Scorpius. Rose stood and pointed her wand at me, eyes flashing with pure Weasley rage.

"Have you been holding out on me, Tumns?" she said, deathly quiet.

"I just met him!" I defended, raising my hands in surrender.

She seemed to deflate into a happy teenage girl. "Tell me everything. And Scorpius dear?"

He froze on his way out of the door.

"Don't even think about it. You're staying," she said, smiling sweetly.

He sighed at collapsed into the chair. "Where's Al when you need him?" he muttered.

"Speaking of which," I said, "Where is he?"

"With some Ravenclaw girl," Rose said, waving the subject away.

I bit back the disappointment and sadness that filled me, pretending not to notice the piteous looks that Scorp was giving me every now and then, instead choosing to fill Rose in on the best distraction I could find: Thomas.

(It still hurt, though.)

**Albus**

When I first saw Tumns walking around with her new friend, I wasn't suspicious. They were talking amiably as they walked down the hall, his slightly stocky form only a few inches above her tiny frame. It wasn't until I noticed the way his eyes never strayed from her during the conversation, the way he seemed to hang on her every word that I got worried. There was also the fact that Tumns seemed to be spending less and less time around me. Of course, the four of us were always together, but she kept on seeming more distant.

The worst thing was, nobody else seemed to care.

When I brought it up around Rose, she would shrug it off.

"Thomas, liking our Tumns?" she'd said, looking at me in disbelief. "You're off your rocker, Al."

She didn't seem to realize that I always knew when she was lying.

It took nearly a week of watching Thomas follow Tumns around like a puppy, but I finally brought it up around Scorpius.

"Scorp?" I asked, looking in the blonde boy's direction. We were sitting in front of the fireplace on the first Friday night at school. The common room was empty except for us since the girls had long ago disappeared into their common room. "I need to talk to you."

"Oh, Merlin," Scorpius, the ever-helpful friend, rolled his eyes. "Not about Rose. Tumns has already—"

"What? No! I wasn't gonna- Wait, why?" I asked, now curious.

"Nothing! Not discussing!" Scorp chirped in mock nonchalant-ness.

"Sure," I said, grinning. "As I was saying," I continued, becoming serious again. "It's about Tumns. She's met this guy, that Hufflepuff bloke. And-"

"Oh, please," Scorpius interrupted. "I know what you're going to say: 'We're just friends, but I have confusing feelings and I don't like how she acts around this guy.' I know you, Albus."

"Am I that predictable?" I asked, the signature Weasley blush beginning to creep into my cheeks, adding to the glow from the flickering fire.

"I won't answer that for your sake," Scorp sighed. "But yes. Completely. Anyway, if you like her, just say so. That's what I'd do."

"Ha!" I said, laughing out loud. "That's what you'd do, huh? Oh, Merlin! What a load of owl-"

"All right, shut it," Scorpius snapped, crossing his arms and blushing like mad, bringing color to his pale features. "Whatever. Just do it. And don't mention that to Rose," he added. "Not because I like her in that way or anything, it's just-"

"'We're just friends and I have confusing feelings?' Nah, would've never guessed." I retorted.

Both of us sulked at the opposite ends of the sofa, as far away as possible from each other, staring into the darkness.

I sighed, breaking the silence. "I can't just tell her, though. She's _Tumns_."

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "You're a Gryffindor, Al, come on. Besides, if you wait too long, she's going to move on."

"Move on?" I asked, sitting up straighter. "Who's she on right now? What house is he—,"

"I've suddenly found the reason why you weren't sorted into Ravenclaw," Scorpius announced.

"What in the name of Merlin's pants does that have to do with anything?"

Scorpius leaned over and smacked the back of my head.

"_That_ was for being an idiot for the past two years. Merlin, you're so thick, Potter."

"What're—," I started, rubbing my head.

"I'm not telling you," he said, leaning back against the cushions. "You'll just have to figure it out yourself."

Silence fell between us again.

"But I do hate how she's drooling over this new kid," I added.

"Get over it," Scorp drawled. "If you'd get the guts to ask Tumns out, she'd be yours. She can't help she attracts guys, although sometimes I wish she would just let me jinx a few of them."

"Oh, and how would you like it if tomorrow you saw my cousin snogging some boy?" I growled. "Show some compassion, Malfoy."

"You didn't catch Rose kissing anyone, did you?" Scorpius asked, straightening up and glaring wide-eyed at me.

"No, I didn't, Cold One. Nice way of keeping it cool." I said, grinning smugly at Scorpius.

"Yeah, well. We ought to get to bed." Scorp said, yawning. He stood and stretched, reaching high for the ceiling as he squeezed his eyes shut tightly before heading to the stairs. "You coming, love puppy?"

"I'm coming," I muttered. "And don't call me love puppy!"

With that, we took turns tackling each other up the stairs, ignoring the indignant shouts coming from behind several of the doorways ("Oi! Shut it, would you?), until we got to the dormitory where Scorpius collapsed on the floor before he even made it to his bed. Slowly, I crawled into bed, tugging the covers tight around me and reciting every Defense spell I knew to keep my mind off of a short sixth-year with blonde hair and freckles.

**A/N: *peeks awkwardly around corner, dodges several pieces of rotten fruit* Oh, hi, guys. Um, so, yeah. It's been ages since I updated. I'll be utterly amazing if I even still have readers. I can't really give you guys much of an excuse except, yeah, having a job and responsibilities and homeschooling eat up most of my time, and the rest of that = writer's block. It was terrible, and I owe it to my writing guru, Auri, for helping me out of it. She also basically wrote some of this, although I edited it so that it fit the rest of the chapter. This chapter isn't anywhere near my favorite, but I needed to post something and this was all I had. Sorry if it gets confusing. Seriously, though, I reread some of my reviews, and I just got to say that you are all amazingly awesome. I love you guys, although now the feeling probably isn't reciprocated. I'll try to be much more reliable now.**

**Yours writerly,  
**

**WNF  
**


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